Preparation
1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking
20 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Chicken soup is considered a popular dish in folk cuisine due to its nourishing properties. However, not everyone knows about Nghe An chicken soup. Today, let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN to make this “both strange and familiar” soup!
Ingredients for Cooking Nghe An Chicken Soup For 4 people
Chicken 1 bird (about 1.5kg) Shallots 10 bulbs Lime leaves 5 leaves Ginger 4 bulbs Vietnamese coriander 30 gr Cilantro 5 leaves Chili 2 pieces Vinegar a little Chopped turmeric a little Common spices a little (salt/seasoning powder/seasoning granules) Cooking oil 2 tablespoons
How to choose fresh and delicious chicken:
For live chickens
- You should choose healthy chickens that move actively, have a bright pink/red comb, bright eyes, and shiny feathers.
- Avoid buying chickens that move sluggishly, wobble, nod their heads, have watery eyes, wheezing breaths, or dark combs, as these may be chickens that have been infected with diseases, making them unsafe for consumption.
For processed chickens
- It is best to choose chickens of moderate size; if too small, the chicken will be young and the meat will be soft; if too large, there is a possibility of water being injected or the chicken being too old, leading to tough meat.
- You should select chickens with a characteristic shiny yellow skin, thin skin, that feel smooth to the touch, and have good elasticity. The meat inside should have a natural pink-red color, not too dark as it may have been injected with substances or not fully processed, and not too pale as it could be sick or dead before processing.
- Especially, when buying packaged meat, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and packaging date. It is advisable to choose chicken with the production date closest to your purchase date and to check carefully if the packaging is intact!
- You can buy processed chickens from reputable stalls at markets, in your area, or supermarkets like TasteVN for peace of mind!
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious chicken
How to Cook Nghe An Chicken Soup
-
Prepare the Ingredients
The chicken you buy can have its odor removed by mixing salt and vinegar together, rubbing it directly onto the chicken skin or adding water and soaking the chicken in this mixture for 3 – 5 minutes, then rinsing thoroughly with clean water.
After removing the chicken’s odor, you need to cut off the oil gland at the chicken’s tail. If you won’t eat it, you can also cut off the tip of the chicken’s tail to avoid affecting the flavor of the dish.
Methods to Prepare and Remove Chicken Odor:
- Method 1: Use salt and vinegar rubbed directly onto the chicken skin or soak in this mixture for 3 – 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Method 2: Rub a few slices of lemon onto the chicken skin with a little salt, then rinse really clean with plenty of water.
- Method 3: Crush 1 ginger root with a little white wine and rub it onto the chicken. Let it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
See details: Methods to Prepare and Remove Chicken Odor
Use a knife to chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 2 finger lengths long. Then rinse clean one more time and let it drain.
Put the chicken into the pot and proceed to marinate the chicken with 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder and 2 teaspoons of broth mix. Mix well for the chicken to absorb the spices and marinate for about 30 minutes.
While waiting, we will prepare the accompanying ingredients. Finely chop the shallots and turmeric. Thinly slice the kaffir lime leaves, Vietnamese coriander, and cilantro. Slice the chili (families with young children or those who do not eat spicy can skip this ingredient).
-
Stir-fry chicken
First, place a pot on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pot. Divide the chopped turmeric into two parts, wait for the oil to heat up, then add the minced shallots and one part of the turmeric to the pot to sauté until fragrant.
After that, add the marinated chicken to stir-fry until the chicken is browned.
-
Cook the soup
After the chicken has browned, add 500ml of water that has been prepared into the pot. Use chopsticks to stir and then cover the pot to cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat until the chicken is cooked.
Season again to taste, then add the finely chopped herbs including cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, and lime leaves into the pot, and it’s done!
-
Final Product
Thus, the delicious and hot Nghe An chicken soup, both familiar and strange, has been successfully prepared. The bowl of soup is fragrant with the smell of lime leaves, Vietnamese coriander, and shallots, the chicken is tender without being mushy, and the soup is sweet, shimmering with the yellow color of turmeric. This truly is a wonderful dish that every family should try!
See more:
With the instructions above, TasteVN hopes you will successfully prepare the delicious and nutritious Nghe An chicken soup to enjoy with your family. Regularly cook to enjoy delicious meals!
